


Your Sugar, Yes Please

by verbaeghe



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Not Hockey Player(s), Alternate Universe - Sugar Daddy, M/M, Meet-Cute, Multi, Slice of Life, Tampa Bay Lightning, Threesome - M/M/M, Val is a rich hot dude. That part isn't AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-10
Updated: 2018-02-10
Packaged: 2019-03-14 22:22:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13599642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/verbaeghe/pseuds/verbaeghe
Summary: On Monday, Brayden meets Valtteri Filppula, a billionaire who wants to have dinner with him and give him things.On Friday, Brayden meetsBrett, a sweet, funny guy who gets the same drink at the coffee shop as him.And then things get...complicated.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lecavayay](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lecavayay/gifts).



> Well, I'm down to the wire with this, but I guess that doesn't matter much. I hope you like my...I lost count...attempt at a gift for you! ♥

There isn’t really anything special about the day that Brayden meets Val. He gets up at the usual time, stops by the same coffee shop to get the only thing he can stand in the morning, black tea with one cream and two sugars...walks the familiar crooked path to the building that houses his General Chemistry I class. He sits through boring lecture number fifty-one before having lunch with Slater on the quad and heading to his afternoon shift at the bookstore where he works in part time.

Brayden is pushing a cart through the shelves, straightening and sorting books, singing quietly to himself when he meets Val.

“Excuse me?” The man's English is softly-accented, but Brayden can’t quite place it. He looks over, ready to offer his help, and almost chokes on his spit when he actually sees the guy. Wide smokey blue eyes, the blondest hair he’s ever seen, a perfectly straight nose, and a tan that is most certainly out of place in the middle of January.

“I-I,” Brayden’s voice cracks. He clears his throat and tries again. “Sorry, how can I help you?” Brayden’s eyes sweep downward, taking in the pristine black-- no, navy blue suit that has to be name brand, the tie that is the exact same color as his eyes. This man is flawless and Brayden can’t work out what someone like this could possibly need from him.

“I was hoping that I could help you, actually.” He smiles, and wow.

“H-help _me_? How?” Brayden takes a small involuntary step back. The man hasn’t made a move towards him in any way, but Brayden is intimidated, and he isn’t afraid to admit it. To himself, anyway.

“I was hoping I could take you to dinner,” the man produces a card, holds it out. “Perhaps this weekend.”

Brayden looks down at the card and back up. “Um,-”

“Just give me a call if you decide you’d like to.” He leans in, Brayden takes another step back. His smile appears again, punching the breath out of Brayden’s lungs. “I do hope to hear from you soon.”

He turns and departs, leaving Brayden standing there blinking at the empty space in front of him.

 

//

 

Brayden is sitting on the couch in the shitty three bedroom apartment that he shares with Slater and Jo staring at the card in his hand. Valtteri Filppula’s card, apparently. His name is written in some fancy-ass neat script and there’s even a small Finnish flag in the upper left hand corner.

There’s also a handful of numbers, both international and domestic. Brayden isn’t sure he’ll be able to dial any of them.

The front door opens. He looks up to see Slater emptying his pockets into the spare change doodad in the foyer that holds a random hodgepodge of anything and everything that comes out of their pockets at this point.

“Hey, what’s up?” Brayden asks. Slater must hear something in his voice because he freezes and looks over.

“Who pissed in your cheerios since I saw you at lunch?” Slater grins at his own lame joke.

“No one did, I had a perfectly fine afternoon, thank you,” Brayden replies.

“You don’t sound like you did, and you sure as hell don't look like you did,” Slater sinks down next to him. “Whose card? Did you get served?”

“What would I get served for?” Brayden shakes his head, laughing.

“Well, at least I made you laugh,” Slater relaxes back with an easy grin. Oh, so that was his game. Brayden shouldn't be surprised “So what is it, then?”

“A guy asked me out today.”

Slater’s eyebrows raise. “Yeah? Why are you all tied up in knots over it then? Is he a troll?”

“He’s like the hottest guy I’ve ever seen in real life, actually,” Brayden sighs, holding up the card. Slater takes it, looks it over.

“Okay, then the problem is?” Slater flips it over, sees that there isn’t anything on the back, and returns it.

“He’s older.”

“How much older?”

“I dunno, but more than just a couple of years.”

“Is that a problem?” Slater cocks his head. “If it is, just don’t call him.”

“I know, but he’s just _so_ freaking hot.”

“Then do go out with him,” Slater shrugs. “You know that I don’t care at all about age differences.”

“Heh, no, you don’t.” Brayden sets the card down. “When will Jo be home? I think I want a second opinion.”

“Uh, sometime after dinner, I think.” Slater stands and stretches. Brayden winces at the number of times his back pops with it. “I’m going to go shower. Some of us already have a hot date in place.”

“Use protection!” Brayden calls after him when he heads down the hall. Slater laughs, flicking him off over his shoulder in reply.

 

//

 

Jo’s advice had been a head shake and the instruction to ‘go for it, you idiot’, so Brayden is nervously dialing one of the numbers off of the card. He checks that he got it right, then double checks it because he’s a total spaz about it, and hits the call button.

“Hello?” Brayden’s eyes drop closed when he hears that voice again. Jesus, his voice is freaking amazing.

“Hi, um. Valtteri? It’s me, Brayden. I don’t think I told you my name the other day, but-”

“You were wearing a name tag,” Valtteri breaks in gently, derailing his babble train. “Please, call me Val. But forgive me, interrupting you is rude; go on.”

“I was just...I wanted to accept? Dinner?” Brayden swallows. “If the offer is still there, I mean.”

“Of course it is. Give me your address, I’ll send a car on Friday.” Brayden nervously recites his address. “Great, make sure you dress business formal. I’ll see you then!”

“Okay, yeah, goodbye.” Brayden hangs up.

“Shit, what even _is_ business formal?” he asks the empty room.

 

//

 

Jo laughs at him for about twenty minutes before finally taking him to a suit shop.

“I can’t afford these prices,” Brayden hisses at Jo after the man who’d been measuring him, Yanni, runs off to check up on some fabric, or whatever.

“I’ll loan you some money, don’t worry about it.”

“I don’t know if I-”

“You said he’s hot, right?” Jo smirks.

“Yeah?”

“And you don’t want to leave him hanging, do you?”

“No,” Brayden shakes his head for emphasis.

“Well, you can’t show up in jeans if he said business formal, so you'll just have to let me lend you some money.” Jo play-punches his shoulder. “You can pay me back in installments, no rush. Don’t worry.”

Brayden is ready to object again, but Yanni returns with a tray of silk ties. He holds them out to Brayden like they’re treasure (maybe they are, he thinks, once he sees the price tag on them).

“The blue one, for sure,” Jo says. Yanni beams and scurries away again. Brayden frowns at Jo. “What? It goes with your eyes, it’s a thing.”

“Fine, whatever,” Brayden relents. This is obviously his life now.

“That’s a good boy,” Jo grins at him. “Make sure you stand up straight.”

Brayden punches him in the arm.

 

//

 

Friday morning finds Brayden standing around in the coffee shop, actively not worrying about his date. He isn’t fully awake yet, and there's so much say for him to get through first. So, doesn't matter, he isn’t panicking. He _is_ waiting for his drink to be called, which is just taking entirely too long. He has a class to get to.

Why does he have so many early classes? He’s fixing this next semester, for sure.

“I’ve got a black tea, one cream and two sugars!” the barista calls, and _finally_. Brayden steps forward to take his drink, only to see someone else’s hand close around the cup first.

“That is my drink,” Brayden says before he looks up into wide blue eyes. Different wide blue eyes that are nothing like Val’s even if they made, Brayden think of him, that are sitting under curly brown hair.

“I’m pretty sure it’s mine,” he smiles at him. It’s soft and a little crooked. Brayden watches him turn the cup, which reveals the name Brett.

“Oh my god.” Brayden feels his cheeks heat. “I’m so sorry. I’ve never seen or heard of anyone ordering what I drink before.”  

“It could happen to anyone.” The barista calls Brayden’s name and he accepts his drink. Brett’s smile widens. “Good thing they didn’t call my name; we never would have met.” He pulls a pen out of his pocket and writes on his cup, hands it to Brayden.

“If your taste in guys is as good as it is in drinks, you should give me a call,” Brett winks as him and takes the drink with Brayden’s name on it. “See ya ‘round.”

He gapes after Brett as he walks towards the door, not snapping out of his stupor until the bell over the door jingles, reminding him he is running late for class.

 

//

 

Brayden has spent the last fifteen minutes trying to do up his tie. Jo had shown him, had even left it tied and loose, but Brayden thought he knew how to re-do it so he’d untied it. Not so much, turns out. And now Jo has gone out for the night, off to fuck if _he_ knows.

Just when he's debating calling down the hall for help, Slater appears, tapping the half-open door with two knuckles. Brayden wonders if Slater read his mind.

“Hey, when are you planning on leaving?”

So, no then. “The car will be here at seven,” Brayden answers. Slater snorts. “ _What_?”

“It's nothing, don't worry about it...and I was just wondering...” Slater glances over his shoulder and Brayden feels like there might be more to it than that.

“Wondering why?”

"I'm making dinner for someone and you need to clear out so I can.”

“What? For who?!” This is the first Brayden has heard about Slater and well, anyone at all, much less someone so important to him that he’d have them to the house to... _cook_ for.

“Don’t you have other things to worry about?” Slater is smirking when he points at his tie. Brayden knows it's a diversion, but also... 

“Oh, yeah. Shit. Do you know how to tie these?”

“Nope, sorry,” Slater answers. Fat lot of help he is.

Shit.

“I bet someone in your fancy car will be able to help you, though,” Slater says, turning to leave.

“Fuck you, man,” Brayden says through laughter.

Oh, that _is_ a thought though.

 

//

 

Brayden is hurried into the car before he can even ask the driver for help. So, he’s sitting in the back of some ridiculous car, all alone and in an unfinished suit, looking at his stupid reflection in the divider window.

Why did he agree to this again?

The car comes to a stop. Brayden starts to move towards the door to exit before realizing that Val is sliding in. He moves to the far side of the bench seat instead, because sitting in the middle of it now seems like it might not be the best idea.

Val settles in, then looks over with a smile that is devastating. Brayden isn’t a hundred percent sure that the guy isn't some sort of mythical creature.

“How are you this evening?” Val asks. It's already the most polite conversation that Brayden has ever had and he hasn’t even contributed to it yet.

“I couldn’t fix my tie,” he blurts. Oh, great. Super suave.

“No problem, I can help,” Val replies, like Brayden isn’t the biggest moron he’s ever had the pleasure of meeting.He leans close, Brayden swallows when deft fingers brush delicately along the bottom line of his collar, straightening the silk carefully. “Over twice, under, up and through,” he instructs along the way. “It’s simple when you think of it that way, no?

“Y-yeah.” It isn’t. He clears his throat. “Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise,” Val answers. His voice is low and hypnotic. Seriously. There's no way he's human.

Brayden doesn’t know how he’s going to survive tonight.

 

//

 

Brayden steps into his apartment, caught up in his thoughts when he snaps the door closed and leans up against it.

“Guess your date wasn’t that great?” he startles and looks up at the sound of Slater’s voice. He’s sitting on the couch, cuddled up to some older guy who is all nose and curly hair.

“I’m, uh, I’m not sure that it was actually a date?” Brayden twists his face up in confusion.

“Then what was-?”

“I forgot that you had this thing going on. I’ll clear out and leave you to it,” Brayden dashes out of the room before Slater can finish his question.

He doesn’t want to have this conversation in front of someone he doesn’t even know.

Brayden isn't exactly being careful when he enters his bedroom, so his hip hits the his desk when he whips around to close close his door, knocking a cup to the floor. He picks it up and starts to toss it before realizing that it’s the cup that Brett gave him earlier. He stares at it for a moment, then fishes his phone from his pocket.

_Hey, Brett? It’s Brayden. We met earlier?_

He hits send before he can second guess himself, sets his phone down, and then spends the next ten minutes freaking out over how stupid his message sounds and how Brett is never going to--

The phone vibrates on the desk.

_Hey Brayden. I was starting to think that I wasn’t interesting enough. ;)_

A wink. That’s flirting, right? Of course it is. Just because his thing with Val was weird doesn’t mean that he no longer understands basic flirting. Jesus.

_I had a thing tonight. Just got home_

He hopes they can leave it at that, but of course not.

_This late? Was that something a date? Am I your rebound? :o_

Brayden sighs, thinking back to his dinner with Val. It had been more than just a little awkward, and that was before the whole ‘ _I just want to buy you things and see you happy_ ’ talk.

_No, not a date. Dinner meeting_

That’s close enough, he guesses. He isn’t so sure that he’ll be seeing Val again at any rate, not after his reaction, which was just turning red and mumbling a 'no thank you' and he just-- It was weird and it doesn’t matter how hot Val is, Brayden is pretty sure that he isn’t up for that sort of thing.

_Pretty late for a meeting. You have those a lot?_

_No that was the first and last_

_So when are you free for a date? Def not a meeting. A date_

Brayden’s eyes go wide. Brett doesn't really remind him of Val, but he’s also still sort of out of Brayden’s league. He doesn’t have any idea how he’s managed to have two really hot guys ask him out in one week...even if the Val thing was. Um. Yeah.

_I don’t have class on Tuesday so I’m free Monday evening if you are_

_Sounds great. Meet you at the coffee shop around 7_

_Only if we don’t have to have coffee_

_Lol of course not. It’s a surprise tho_

_Okay. See you then_

Brayden takes a deep breath through his nose before heading to the bathroom. He really needs to take a shower after his day.

He has one new text waiting when he returns, ready for bed.

_Can’t wait :)_

 

//

 

Brayden arrives a few minutes early so he can order them both a cup of tea, even though he knows that they won't be staying. It seems like the least he can do after trying to steal Brett’s drink last time.

So he orders, waits, gets the drinks, and then has just enough time to start panicking and debating whether he should pull out his phone to make sure that Brett didn’t cancel, or something, when Brett walks in.

“Sorry,” he smiles at Brayden, all wide-eyed and gorgeous. “I got stuck behind one of the buses. You know how it is.”

Brayden relaxes. “Yeah, they’re the worst.” He hold up one of the cups.

“Oh, thanks,” Brett accepts it, takes a long drink. Brayden finds himself transfixed at the sight of his bobbing Adam’s apple. Brett pulls down the cup, grins. “So, are you ready?”

“For what?” Brayden can’t help but return his smile.

“I told you, it’s a surprise.” Brett holds out his free hand and turns towards the door. He cocks his head playfully. “So?”

Brayden swallows, reaching for the offered hand. Brett gives it a squeeze and pulls him out into the night.

 

//

 

Tuesday is his only free day during the week. He usually spends it doing laundry or catching up on homework, but today he’s spending it laying on his bed, daydreaming about soft smiles shared over greasy diner food and tentative goodnight kisses that quickly turned sweet in front of the coffee shop before heading home.

He’s jolted from his thoughts when Jo knocks on his half-open door. “You didn’t tell me that your suit date went so well the other night.”

“I don’t even think it was a date,” Brayden scrunches his nose in distaste, annoyed at being reminded of that particular trainwreck.

“Really?” Jo raises his eyebrows.

“Yep, really,” Brayden pushes himself up, stands. “So now I have to pay you back for that suit over nothing.”

“Okay, if that’s the case, why did all of that stuff arrive for you?”

“What stuff?” Brayden asks slowly.

“It’s on the counter. Didn’t you see it?” Brayden stands there, blinking blankly at Jo for a minute and then pushes past him.

“Did Slater not tell you?” Jo’s laughing at him while he follows along.

Brayden comes to a stop, his mouth gaping at the pile of things sitting on the bar. “W-what? This is for me?”

“That’s what the envelope says.” Jo reaches behind him, grabbing the envelope and handing it back. “See?”

His name is printed on it in the neatest handwriting he’s ever seen in his entire life. He furrows his brows at it before flipping it over and pulling out the card inside.

_My dearest Brayden,_

_I feel that I made you uncomfortable the other night, and that is the last thing I want to do. Please accept these gifts in apology._

_Yours,_

_Val_

“Why are you looking at it like that? What does it say?” Brayden looks up at Jo, blinks twice, and holds it out. Jo snatches it. “This is…” Jo huffs at the note-card and places it back on the counter. He looks over the array of presents. “Oh, but I think I will take this in payment for the suit.” He picks up an open clam shell box. It contains a gold bracelet.

“No you won't; I have to give it back. Give _all_   of this stuff back,” Jo tries to hold it up out of his reach, but he’s more nimble than he looks, managing to snatch it on a perfectly-times hop. He snaps it closed. The sound of it popping is kind of satisfying. “I can’t keep it.”

“They’re gifts, of course you can!” Brayden shushes him while he dials the number to ask for a car.

He's informed that one can come for him straight away so he gathers up all the presents, ignoring Jo’s complaints, and heads out the door to wait down by the road.

 

//

 

Brayden looks out at the sprawling house when the car comes to a stop. He _had_ expected that he was going to the good side of town, or whatever, but he wasn’t expecting all of this. There’s this fancy fountain of leaping dolphins that they’ve just stopped next to and the house behind it is all arches and turrets. Also, there appears to be a porch around the whole thing.

It’s pretty fancy, to say the least.

Someone opens the car door, so he quickly gathers the stuff into his chest and scrambles after the guy, who is already like a hundred yards away. Halfway to the stairs at least.

He is worried that he’ll have to stand around awkwardly in some room or another, but he’s shown straight into a bright, open room. He’s so caught up in looking _up_ and around that he doesn't notice the table at the far end, and he especially doesn’t notice Val sitting there.

“Brayden, hello,” Val is smiling at him once he follows the voice to its source.

“Um. Hi.”

“You should join me,” Val hand sweeps out towards an empty seat to his right. He looks like a Price Is Right model, but hotter. Brayden hesitates, he doesn't want to make this another uncomfortable meal, but relents, sliding into the seat. It isn’t like he can just run off, or anything...and he could use some lunch, so. He sets the things onto the ground next to him and tries to relax back into the chair.

“Thank you for coming,” Val says after Brayden has a plate of food placed in front of him. “I was hoping that you would.”

“I just came to.” Brayden pauses, looks down at his food and pushes it around a bit. “The gifts are nice, but I can’t accept them.”

“But I want you to have them.” Val says.

“I’m-- I don't understand why?”

“I would like to take care of you, I believe I mentioned that the other night.” Val smiles; it’s quite disarming.

“You hardly know me. What do you want from me?” Brayden can’t believe this is happening, because this kind of thing doesn’t just happen to people.

“I want to see you happy,” Val replies. It seems too simple.

“Nothing else?”

“You’re beautiful when you smile, I would like to be the cause of the smile occasionally.”

Brayden feels a blush running across his cheeks and down his neck. Val is the most handsome person he’s ever seen, how can he look at Brayden and see someone beautiful?

But that isn’t his only issue with the situation.

“I’m sort of seeing someone right now?” Brayden doesn’t mean for it to come out a question.

“Mmm,” Val hums, considering his statement. “And, does this person make you happy?”

Brayden thinks about Brett’s smile, hair, and eyes. And then he thinks about their great date and how they’re supposed to have dinner again tomorrow after his late class and, “Yeah, I think he does.”

“Then you should keep seeing him.” Val’s smile returns, it’s a little less intimidating this time. “I just want to have dinner with you occasionally, maybe take you to an event or two.

“And that’s really it?”

“Of course. I would never push you into doing anything you don’t want,” Val shakes his head and his eyes go wide. He looks so innocent, and how could Brayden not trust that?

“Okay, we can try? See how it goes?”

“Great!” Val says happily. “Now, let’s finish up here. I have an afternoon meeting.”

When Brayden leaves thirty minutes later, he has the stuff he came with _and_ a check for five grand because Val says he needs more than one suit.

It seems like a lot of money for a handful of suits, but at least he can pay Jo back now.

 

//

 

Slater is not happy with his decision.

“What about Brett?”

“What about him?” Brayden asks with a sigh.

“I thought you are seeing him and you really like him, that’s what!”

“I am, I do,” Brayden plops down next to Slater on the couch.

“Then what’s with all of that?” Slater points at the stuff that Brayden just haphazardly piled back up on the bar.

“I mean, they’re gifts,” Brayden shrugs.

“From some old guy!”

“You say like you don’t have a thing for older guys,” Brayden rolls his eyes. “Like that guy who was here the other night? How old is _he_?”

“That’s different!”  Slater looks offended. “I cooked dinner for him here. He didn't make me as buy a suit and pretend I'm someone I'm not."

"Val didn't make me-"

"Then we talked," Slater continues, like Brayden hadn't tried to reply. "We stayed here, watched a movie, and...stuff. I want to date _him_ , not take a bunch of expensive shit from him for just having dinner with him while I wanted to date someone else!”

“That’s quite the specific complaint.” Brayden is amused more than he’s offended, which is probably the only thing that’s stopping this from turning into a House Argument. “Anyway, I accepted that stuff because he was kind, and seemed genuine. I’m going to talk to Brett about it later. I’ll call it off if he isn’t comfortable with the situation.”

“Well. Good.” Slater appears to deflate and the argument goes out of him. “But, just so you know, I am very firmly on the ‘this is a bad idea even if Brett agrees’ side of the fence with this whole thing.”

“Noted,” Brayden replies, standing and stretching. “I’m seeing Brett after class, so I’ll be home late.”

“Yeah, yeah. Catch you later,” Slater waves him away.

 

//

 

Brett, however, is completely on board. “Dude! You found some old rich guy who wants to give you things for having dinner with him? That’s what dreams are made of!” Brett pulls out his phone, hits the google bar. “I want to search him, what’s his name?”

“Um. It’s Val…” Brayden searches his wallet for the card because he’s not sure if he’ll be able to spell it properly from memory. His fingers finally close on it. “Valtteri Filppula. V-a-”

“Are you kidding me?” Brett interrupts.

“N-no,” Brayden replies, dragging the o out in his confusion.

“Valtteri Filppula, the freaking billionaire? That’s your guy?”

“I guess?” Brayden blinks at Brett while he taps something up on his phone.

“This is him?” Brett’s showing him a google page of nothing but Val photos.

“Yeah, that’s him.” Maybe Brayden should have looked him up, or something, but he just...hadn’t. He’d been too caught up in everything; with Jo and suits and Slater yelling at him and whatever.  

No, he isn’t being dramatic, thank you very much.

“Holy shit, he is so hot. I can’t believe he-- This is so awesome! When do you see him again?!”

“I’m not sure. We just had lunch today, so…” Brayden trails off and shugs.

“Well, it doesn’t really matter,” And Brett shoves the whole subject aside like it's just some boring conversation they were having, like it doesn't matter at all. “Tell me about your class. How did that go?”

“About the same as usual, really,” Brayden starts, relieved that he doesn’t have to talk about Val anymore right now.


	2. Chapter 2

Brayden gasps, digging his fingers into Brett’s hips, tipping his own to meet Brett’s thrusts. He’s aware of the little noises escaping his lips each time Brett pushes into him, but he’s powerless to stop them.

“Are you ready to come for me?” Brett whispers in his ear. Brayden grits his teeth, shakes his head. He is _not_ going to come first this time. “Come on, sexy, you know you want to.”

“N-no, I want you to come,” Brayden counters, squeezing tighter, wanting to leave bruises, needing to give Brett something to still be feeling later.

He lets his fingers drift up Brett’s sides, trail through the sweat on his back on his way to Brett’s shoulders. He grasps them, pulling Brett in and tipping his head, offering his neck.

“Oh, you play dirty,” Brett mutters, dipping in to drag his tongue through the valley of Brayden’s clavicle before searching out his lips. His movement has gone erratic and Brayden knows that he’s almost won.

“It’s okay, you can come,” Brayden says on his lips, and isn’t smug at all when Brett’s body goes tense.

He gets a hand between them, onto himself so he can follow Brett over.

They’re quiet for a minute or two after the fact, Brayden's mind nothing but white noise. Brett starts to pull away, bringing him back into the present. Brayden holds him close, not ready for this to be over yet.

“You know I have class,” Brett noses at his jawline, places a little kiss on the edge. “And you have a thing with Val.”

“I know, I just...give me another minute,” Brayden pleads.

“I can give you maybe thirty seconds,” Brett kisses him, then he does pull away. Brayden whines. “I know, I know,” He pulls off the condom, drops it in the trash on the far side of the end table, “but we have stupid commitments.”

“Can’t you miss a class?” Brayden makes pathetic little grabby hands at Brett, who is walking towards the bathroom.

“I’m only allowed to miss one class, which I already did when you made this same complaint two weeks ago.” Brayden hears the water turn on. He waits on his bed, stewing over the fact that he’s going to have to get up and put a suit on. The water shuts off and Brett returns with a washcloth. He sits down next to Brayden, makes the bed bounce. “And that’s how you know that I would stay if I could,” he finishes, cleaning Brayden up with a gentle touch. “Now, you need to take a proper shower and put one of those fancy suits on.” Brett drops the washcloth onto his stomach.

“They aren’t that fancy,” Brayden looks at the washcloth in disgust.

Brett pecks his lips. “I’ll see you later.”

“Right. Later,” Brayden sighs.

“Hey, it could be worse,” Brett pauses by the door, cocks a half grin. “You could be stuck with-”

“Yeah, yeah,” Brayden shoos at him. “Get out of here before you’re late.” Brett is laughing when he leaves the room.

Brayden starts to sag down into the bed in annoyance before the gross washcloth prompts him to get up and start the shower.  

 

//  

 

Brayden is sitting in the car on his way to dinner with Val. He’s annoyed that he still can’t work out ties, no matter how much Jo shows him. They’re dumb and annoying, and he’d get a clip on, but Val forbade it.

He sighs, shifting his thoughts away from that annoyance and towards more favorable things, like how well his relationship with Brett is going. And Val too, if he's being honest. Val seems like a totally different person now that they’ve spent time together. Or maybe just more real.

He has this quiet humor, and he’s so soft and kind. And his smile is--

Brayden is jolted from his musings when the car comes to a stop and someone pulls open the door for him a couple seconds later. He thanks the man absentmindedly when he heads for the steps.  

Val is waiting for him just inside the door. His lips tip up on one side when he asks, “Still can’t figure out ties?”

“No, I’ve tried and I’ve tried and just…” Brayden shrugs, frustrated.

“Maybe I showed you too quickly before. Here.” Val steps right up close to him. “Let me instruct you.” He sets Brayden’s hands in places on each side of the tie that seem kind of arbitrary. “You have to line it up first.” He tugs on one of Brayden’s hands, making the fat side hang lower. Not so arbitrary after all.

“Now, you take the fat part and wrap it around the skinny side loosely, twice.” Val guides Brayden’s hands along with his instructions. “And then you tuck this up the back and let it flop over.” He flashes a look through his bangs with a quick smile and back, still leadind Brayden’s hands through the motions. “Over and through, and then you just pull it tight. Yeah, like that.”

“Thanks,” Brayden says quietly, still looking down at the tie that he almost tied himself. With lots of help from Val. 

“Hey, no problem. I probably should have shown you before,” Val chuckles; Brayden looks up at the sound.

Wow, Val is still really close. And he’s smiling _that_ smile.

The way that he’s looking at Brayden is so…

He smells really good, and maybe--

Brayden catches himself just when he starts to lean in. “Oh, shit.”

“What?” Val looks vaguely confused.

“I sh-I should go,” Brayden manages. He almost kissed Val, and that is a great big fucking no-no.

“What? Why? We have a-”

“No, I’m sorry. There's something, I just remembered...I’m sorry.” Brayden backs away, dashes out the door as soon as his fingers hit the knob.    

The guys sitting outside scramble to ready the car for him, but he blows right by them, all but running down the long driveway, fishing out his phone and hitting the Uber app icon.

 

//

 

Brayden thanks his Uber driver, Tyler, when he gets out of the car. He adds five stars and an extra generous tip while he walks over towards the building Brett’s class is in.

He proceeds to pace right in front of the auditorium door for the next twenty-nine minutes, waiting for the stupid class to hurry up and _end_ , already. He'd like to get panicking at the thought of how quickly Brett is going to dump him for almost kissing Val over with and get to the actual event.

The door finally opens and people spill out slowly. So, so, annoyingly slowly. He just wants to see...there Brett is. Brayden walks over to him, grabbing one of his arms to pull him away from the crowd.

“Hey, what do you think you-Brayden? What are you doing here? I thought you had a thing?” Brett looks so freaking cute when he’s confused. It makes Brayden’s heart ache.

“Val almost kissed me,” he blurts. Shit, he didn’t mean to make it sound like it was on Val, but it’s too late for that now.

“He...really?” Brett frowns. “I thought he said that he doesn’t want anything from you?”

“Yeah, but,” Brayden runs a hand through his hair, shrugs. “I don’t know how it happened, it just…” He shakes his head, frantic. “I don’t want you to break up with me, but--”

“Hey, hey,” Brett shrugs off his hand, grabs for it. “No one is breaking up with anyone here, okay?”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course.” Brett smiles. “We just have to talk to Val about boundaries, that’s all.”

“O-okay,” Brayden agrees shakily.

“Now. Let’s go have some dinner instead of worrying about all this messiness,” Brett presses a kiss to Brayden’s temple.

“That sounds good,” Brayden agrees, letting himself be led towards the student center.      

 

//

 

“Should I call for a car?” Brayden asks, reaching for his phone.

“No, let’s take the bus, or something. Then he won’t know we’re coming.”

“Why don’t we want him to know we’re coming?” Brayden pushes his eyebrows together in confusion.

“So he doesn’t have time to come up with some bullshit reason for trying to kiss you,” Brett says, and now Brayden is back to feeling bad that he threw Val under the bus. There is no way that this is going to end well.

“Okay. Yeah. Let’s go.”

Val doesn’t look surprised when they arrive, which is actually sort of unusual. He opens his mouth to greet them, but Brett speaks first.

“We need to talk about you taking liberties.” Brayden almost laughs, because liberties? Who _says_ something like that?

“Excuse me?” Val stands a bit straighter, and it’s more intimidating than he’s ever been before...definitely more than Brayden even thought he could be.  

“You tried to kiss Brayden, and that is overstepping, man,” Brett shoots back. Val’s attention shifts to Brayden, who knows that he must look like a deer caught in the headlights.

Val softens again, almost visibly relaxing, for some reason. Turns back to Brett.

“It was my mistake. I was caught up in the moment,” Val’s easy smile returns. “I know that you must understand how desirable the thought of kissing Brayden is.”

“Uh, Y-yeah…?” Brett looks like he doesn’t know how to respond.

“But I promise it was a one time thing. I didn’t mean to do it and I won’t again.” He pauses, cocking his head, pressing a finger to his lips. “You should let me make it up to the two of you.”

“How would you do that?” Brett asks.

“I have an island. Let me bring you to visit while you’re on break.”

“You have an island?” Brayden asks, finally joining the conversation.

“You want to take both of us?” Brett is wide-eyed. It's the first time that Brett reminds Brayden of Val.

“Yes,” Val says to Brayden. He turns to Brett. “And yes, of course. What good would it do the two of you to be separated on spring break?”

“Why now?”

“I’ve been wanting to get away for a while,” Val answers with a smirk.

“It’s a tropical beach?”

“Of course,” Val looks almost offended by the question.

“I think I would…” Brett glances at Brayden but doesn’t say anything before looking back. “Yeah, I think I would like to go.”

“That’s great. What about you, Brayden?”

“I, um. I don’t know. I need some time to think about it.”

“What?” Brett is confused.

“Of course, just let me know in the next couple of days.” Val rises. “Would you two like dinner?”

“Yes, please,” Brett answers.

“I’m going to pass. I need to get home. I promised Jo and Slater I would be home tonight.”

“I’m sure that they can wait for you to eat first,” Brett rolls his eyes.

“I”m already way late. I’m surprised that they aren’t blowing up my phone, honestly.” Brayden pulls out his phone, sees that he does have a load of messages.

He forgot that he silenced it. Oops.

“Oh, they have been, actually,” Brayden frowns at the notifications.

“Don’t worry about it. Take a car, head home and Brett, you can have dinner and then head home. With or without me, doesn’t matter.”

Brett still looks sort of torn, but he relents. He turns to Brayden, presses a kiss to the corner of his mouth. “Okay, then. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Yeah, come by whenever after your class,” Brayden smiles at him, turns to Val. “Goodnight, Val.”

“Goodnight, Brayden.” He smiles at Brayden.

And so Brayden is feeling like shit again when he turns and heads for the front door.

 

  
Slater and Jo are sitting on the couch playing NHL18 when Brayden walks in the front door.

“Thank for getting back to us, you dick,” Jo tosses over his shoulder without looking away from the screen.

“Don’t be an asshole,” Slater says just before he scores.

“I’ll be one if I want.” Jo hits pause. “What’s with the lack of communication?”

“Sorry, there was a thing,” Brayden sighs.

“Was it a Val thing?” Jo asks, grinning.

“Sort of.” Brayden explains what happened, including the bit where he accidentally made it look like Val’s fault. “But he was just so nice about it, covered for me and everything...and he invited us to go to some island for spring break.” Brayden throws himself down between Slater and Jo in a huff.

“And you said no, right?” Slater asks.

“You mean he said yes.” Jo shakes his head at Slater. “You _had_ to say yes to something like that.”

“I told him I had to think about it.” Brayden sighs when they starts arguing with one another whether he should go or not. They aren’t even including him, which, rude.

“I need to be alone. I’m going to my room.” They’re so caught up in their dumb argument over what he should do that they don’t even notice him getting up from between them and leaving.

  
  
“Ugh, go away,” Brayden calls when there’s a knock at his door.

“It’s me,” Brett calls through the door.

“Come in?” Brayden sits up while Brett slips into the room. “I thought you said tomorrow?”

“I did,” Brett drops down next to him. “But then I got to thinking that maybe this was something that we should talk about sooner rather than later.”

“I haven’t really thought about it yet though,” Brayden picks at a string on his blanket.

“I wanted a chance to plead my case before you do, okay?” He’s smiling at Brayden, and how can he say no to that face?

“Alright.”

“Think about how romantic it will be, and how we’ll probably never get another chance to do something like this.” Brett pulls Brayden’s hand away from the frayed blanket and tangles their fingers. “And I just think that paradise without you wouldn’t be paradise at all.”

Brayden grins. “You’re so cheesy.”

“That is literally the first thing you knew about me,” Brett laughs, Brayden can't help but join in.

“Okay, we can go,” Brayden says. Brett lights up.

“Really?!”

“Yeah, really,” Brayden tugs at Brett’s hand, pulls him over. “Now, I think I need a kiss.”

Brayden really likes the feeling of Brett’s grin on his lips.

 

//

 

Val is obviously pleased to find out that they are both on board. “Excellent. Pack enough clothes for a week. Summer clothes, of course.”

“Will we need any formal wear?” Brayden asks. Better safe than sorry when it comes to clothes is something he learned quickly with Val.

Val laughs, a light, tinkling thing. “No, you won’t.”

He’s still glad he asked.

 

 

Brayden looks out at the approaching cluster of islands. “Is it one of these islands?” he asks without looking away. Val leans in close, points to one of the outlying parcels of land.

“It’s that one.”

“Hey, how far is the airport from the Island?”

“The island has its own landing strip,” Val replies with a chuckle. He guides Brayden's head just beyond the house on the beach, and so it does.

“That’s so cool,” Brayden says, looking up at Val’s...very close face. Oh, shit. Val smiles softly and pulls away.

“We should buckle up. Landing will be a bit bumpy.”

Brayden hurries to take care of that while Val sits across from him and does the same at a much calmer pace. Brett slides in next to him, grabbing for Brayden’s hand after his belt clicks.

“This is going to be so much fun,” Brett grins.

“Hell yeah it is.”

 

//

 

“Well, don’t you look amazing sitting here glowing in the sun room,” Brett says in greeting when he enters said room.

“That is not your smoothest come on,” Brayden replies with a smile.

“Do you really care?” Brett asks as he straddles Brayden.

“No, but, um, I’m not sure that the weird, stretchy straps on this chair can hold our weight together like this for very long.”

“There is no way that Val has chairs that can’t handle a little bit of weight,” Brett grins, leaning in and kissing him. Brett’s hands are roaming over his bare chest while Brayden’s hands are just slipping into the waistband of Brett's shorts when they’re startled apart.

“Oh, shit, I’m so sorry, I didn't mean to- I didn’t know that you were in here. I-I’ll leave,” Val stutters out uncharacteristically while they look at him with eyes that are just as wide as his. He’s backing out of the room when Brett speaks.

“Wait, no.” Val freezes while Brayden looks at Brett, confused. Brett continues, “You want to touch him, don’t you?” Val doesn’t answer. “Well, why don’t you come join us?”

“Is it...does Brayden want that?” Val’s voice is wobbling.

Brett looks back to him with a grin. “Well, do you?”

Brayden looks at Brett, chewing his bottom lip while he debates if this is a road he should go down. If it’s a good idea...and then his eyes shift towards Val, who looks more nervous and unsure of himself than Brayden even knew he could be.

He holds his hand out in invitation.

It seems like he hardly has time to blink before Val is taking his hand, squeezing it gently. Brayden smiles at him, receiving the softest smile back in return...  

...and then his eyes flutter closed when Brett's hands drag down his sides.

 

 

The rest of the week passes in a haze of sunshine and sex. Brayden is surprised he even has anything left in his sexytimes tank the last time they get it on before locking up the house and heading back to the plane.

Brayden doesn’t say much during the ride over, he’s too caught up in memories of the last week and the feeling of the flush high on his cheekbones every time something particularly saucy pops into his head.

The door to the plane opens, and Brayden is about to board when Brett speaks.

“Oh, one thing before we leave.”

“What’s that?” Brayden asks, sighing when he has to adjust his backpack straps on his shoulders.

“No, not for you.” Brett shakes his head. He turns to Val. “For you.”

“Me?” Val blinks at him.

“Yeah, there’s a rule here that I forgot to share, and it’s this: you can not touch Bray when I’m not around.”

“What?” Brayden asks, his voice flat; Brett continues like he didn’t say anything.

“You overstepped once, but you may not again.” Brett shakes his head for emphasis. “You _can_ touch him, I just have to be there.”

“What about-”

“That’s the offer. Take it or leave it.” Brett’s voice is firm. Hard even.

“I’ll take it,” Val says quietly. There’s something about his look that Brayden can’t decipher, but then he starts thinking about how Brett didn’t even ask him about this…just made the demand like he owns Brayden, or something.

Brayden turns and stomps up the ramp, settling into one of the solo seats so he can stew over the situation, which he spends the entire flight home doing.    

 

//

 

It’s been a couple of weeks, and Brayden is still sort of mad at Brett for making such an important decision without talking to him. He doesn’t own Brayden, and the fact that he thinks that it’s okay that he pulled that bullshit is exactly why Brayden hasn’t talked to him much beyond a few short text exchanges since they’d gotten back from spring break.

Brett had come over a few times unannounced, but Slater and Jo had run interference for Brayden, saying that he had a Val thing or a study group or whatever.

Brayden doesn’t want to break up with him, he just doesn’t know how to deal with any of it right now, so he keeps putting it off.

“What’s bothering you?” Brayden jumps at the sound of Val’s voice. He’d gotten so wrapped up in his internal bullshit that he just gotten, well, wrapped up. Brayden frowns. He isn’t usually so inarticulate.

He’s kind of disappointed in himself, to be honest.

“Nothing, I’m...fine.”

“You don’t sound fine.” Val’s dark eyebrows are pressed together - maybe it’s worry or confusion, perhaps even frustration. Brayden isn’t sure, but he doesn’t want to have this talk right now.

“Let’s have sex,” he blurts out.

“I’m. We’re not supposed. I don’t.” Val is stammering, and as much as Brayden normally likes to see him all flustered, he isn’t all that interested in spending time on it right now.

“I’m my own person,” Brayden stands. “Unless you don’t want to?”

“No, I want to!” Val answers, scrambling to his feet.

“Then lead the way.”

He’s halfway up the stairs with Val before he realizes that he’s never been to the second story of Val’s house before. It’s enough to give him a moment’s pause over his decision. Then he looks at Val. Val, who is shooting him these little looks of want and need and disbelief as he pulls Brayden down the hall, and it puts him at peace with his decision.

Clothes come off in a blur of limbs and kisses as soon as they hit the room. Brayden pushes Val down onto the bed, straddles him. Grinds down as he asks, “What would you like to do?”

“I want you to, uh.” Val gripped his hips. “I want you to fuck my mouth.

“Yeah?” Brayden leans down, bites kisses along Val’s jawline.

“Y-yeah,” Val gives the smallest nod. “And I want to be on the floor between your knees while you do it.”

“I don’t know how we’d-”

“And I want you to come on my face.”

“How would I...when I’m sitting, and you-you’re-” Brayden swallows. He is so on board with this.

“I have hair. You can move me.”

“Oh. Yes, okay, let’s do that then.”

Val grins, pushing at his shoulders until he gets with the program and pulls away. He settles himself on the edge of the bed, thankful that it isn’t some stupid overly tall thing and that he can easily plant his feet on the ground.

He’s pretty sure he’s going to need that leverage.

Brayden’s breath goes all shallow and quick on him when Val settles between his legs and looks up at him with those eyes. Those fucking eyes that were the first thing that Brayden noticed about him are looking up at him with trust and...and need, and Brayden can’t keep staring into them right now.

“Tap my thigh if it’s too much, okay?” he says, threading his fingers into Val’s silky strands.

“It won’t be,” Val answers.

“No, I need you to agree, okay?”

“Okay, then I agree.”

“With?” Brayden tightens his grip, tugs. A whine escapes the back of Val’s throat.

“I’ll tap your thigh if it’s too much.” Brayden leans down, he doesn’t care how uncomfortable it is because Val deserves a reward, pulling Val’s lips to his own.

“That’s a good boy,” he says. And then the sound that Val makes in response is muffled by Brayden’s dick.

Val is so, so good at just letting Brayden move him how he wishes. His mouth is the right amount of wet, the way he’s alternating between suction and going lax is perfect, and his tongue is caressing Brayden’s dick just the right way on every other thrust. Tug. Tugging thrust.

It’s fucking amazing, alright?

“Val, I’m close,” Brayden gasps out. Val pulls off, pausing to tongue at the tip, before he takes it in his hand and starts stroking. “Gonna come,” Brayden manages. He thinks Val nods, but he doesn’t move away and then Brayden gets lost in his orgasm.

When he comes back to himself, looking away from the ceiling and back down to Val, discovers Val is swiping his come off one of his cheekbones and sucking it off his finger. The sight is so fucking hot that his dick manages the smallest of twitches.  

“Do you want me to take care of you?” he asks. His voice is still a little shaky.

“I’m good, but thank you,” Val replies. Brayden is not going to be the guy who doesn’t reciprocate.

“It’s no problem, I want to-”

“No, I mean,” Val goes a little pink and indicates to himself. “I already…” He trails off and Brayden follows his gesture downward. His dick tries again in vain to get hard when he sees Val’s come-spattered thighs.

“Holy shit, Val,” he says, a little breathless. He wants to say something else, but he’s at a loss. It seems like Val is already getting himself back under control, because he standing, grabbing his boxers and is already speaking before Brayden has even recovered from the sight.

“Why don’t you get dressed and head downstairs? I’ll clean myself up and join you down at dinner shortly.”

And then Brayden is left sitting on Val’s bed, staring at his retreating backside. And damn, does that ass have a nice jiggle.

Brayden spends another minute or two recovering from all of _that_ , then dresses and heads down to the dining room, all the while thinking about how maybe it’s time to have a talk with Brett.


	3. Chapter 3

Brayden sends a text to Brett as soon as he’s back in the car heading home.

_Hey, can you come over after class?_

He looks as this phone, watching the Brett’s typing bubbles bouncing and stopping only to bounce again a few seconds later for almost three minutes before he gives up and starts to slip his phone into his coat pocket.

Which is of course when it finally vibrates. Brayden huffs in annoyance and pulls it back out.

_Yeah, sure. I’ll be there about eight_

_Cool, see you then_

Brayden puts his phone away and spends the rest of the trip home staring out the window and not seeing a thing.

 

  
Slater and his guy are canoodling (Slater’s word, not Brayden’s) on the couch when he walks in. “Ugh, you two are gross. I’m going to my room. Just send Brett down the hall when he gets here.”

“Hey, you’re talking to him again?” Slater asks.

“Well, not yet.” Brayden sighs. “But I’m about to.”

“Say no more, we’ll go over to Braydon’s place.”

“Wait.” Brayden stops. He can’t believe he hasn’t somehow heard this guy's name before now, but here he is, somehow. “His name is Brayden too?”

“No,” Slater replies, drawing it out over multiple syllables, “his name is Brayd _on_ , with an o.”

“I don't really think that's different.” Brayden cocks his head, squints. "It sounds the same to me." 

“Psh. It’s ‘on’ as opposed to ‘en’.” Slater crosses his arms, smirks. “This isn’t that hard.”

Braydon is chuckling in the background, but Brayden isn’t really in the mood for this. He’s about to tell them exactly what they can do with their Es and Os when he's saved though by a knock at the door.

“Oh, that's gotta be him. Consider us gone.” He hops up, pulling Braydon up with him. “See you later.” Slater winks on his way to the door. He makes a big production of greeting Brett as he pulls Braydon out the door.

“Your class isn’t out for another hour,” Brayden says, closing the door.

“I know, but I just...I haven’t seen you in so long that I couldn’t just sit there and listen to the TA drone on about whatever he was saying.” Brett walks over to the couch, sits on the edge, looks nervous. “I just snuck out the back and headed over.” He steps closer, smiles. “I missed you.”

“We need to talk,” Brayden replies.

Brett’s face drops. “Are you breaking up with me?”

“I have to tell you something."

That in's a no." Brett takes a deep breath. "Was it someth-"

"I slept with Val,” Brayden blurts out. 

“Did he make you? He isn’t supposed to-”

“He didn’t force me into anything. I made the first move,” Brett’s face twists through a bunch of emotions. Confusion. Surprise. And finally, anger.

“You did _what_?” He stands, pulls himself up to full height, like maybe he’s trying to be intimidating, or something. Brayden doesn’t care, three inches isn’t that much. “But the rule-”

“You made that rule without talking to me about it first.” Brayden lets his posture go defensive. “You though you could just tell someone what they could and couldn’t do with _me_ without consulting me first. How could you think that was okay?”

“So, your solution to that wasn't to talk to me about it?”

“You didn’t talk to _me_! How was I supposed to know that was a choice?!” Brayden shoots back.

“Oh, so that makes the fact that you went out and boned the hot guy who wants to steal you from me just fine and dandy?!”

“He. What? No, that isn’t-”

“Well, you know what? Fine. He can have you, since you apparently already have chosen.” He turns to the door, pauses with his hand on the knob. “You know, I really fucking liked you.”  

“Brett, no, wait. I-” but the door is already slamming with Brett on the other side and Brayden is left standing there, wondering how it all escalated so quickly.

 

//

 

The next few weeks suck. Brayden keeps declining spending time with Val (and his gifts as well), which makes him feel like crap, because one, he boned Val and now is refusing to talk to him, which a garbage thing to do to someone. And, two, he really misses Brett, who he hasn't talked to at all since that night.

The worst part is that he doesn’t know how to fix any of it.

Perhaps he can talk to Slater or Jo about it. Well, maybe not Jo, because he can’t even remember the last time Jo wasn’t in the school library staring-at-and-not-talking-to some guy named Steven, but Slater. Yeah. He can talk to him.

Brayden pushes himself up off his bed, heading down the hall and towards the living room. He stops short when he realizes that Slater straddling Braydon on the couch. They’re all hands and lips, there’s even some grinding going on...and they’re pretty close to naked.

Aww, man. He plays video games on that couch.

Slater breaks their kiss, runs his fingers into Braydon’s hair, looks down at him with the softest smile playing at his lips.

“What?” Braydon asks, returning the smile.

“I just like looking at you. Somethin' wrong with that?” Slater’s smile goes all lopsided and sappy. It’s kind of gross.

“I mean, you could be kissing me,” Braydon grabs Slater’s hips, squeezes. “And maybe more.”

Slater leans back in, nuzzles his nose. “We _could_ do more, but then we’d have to get up off this couch.”

“Honestly, we don’t _have_ to,” Braydon grins up at Slater, whose face does this...er...Brayden doesn’t want to think about what that look means.   

They’re back to kissing and things are getting a little more--

Nope. Brayden is backing out of the room. He is _not_ going to stand there and watch his bro bone someone with his name.

So, he turns, heading back to his room, specifically not thinking about what what's going on out in his living room. Instead, he’s lingering on how they were just so stupid freaking happy together. And he misses that.

He misses it so damn much.

Maybe Brayden should send Brett a text...and buy some fabric cleaner.

 

//

 

Brayden is staring at his phone. He wants, no, he _needs_ to text Brett, but he doesn’t know what he should say. And what if Brett blocked him? Or doesn’t answer? Or doesn’t answer because he blocked him?

He sounds like an idiot. He can send a text. He’s done it thousands of times.

_Hey, can we talk?_

Brayden takes a deep breath, hits send before he can talk himself out of it again.

He decides that he isn’t going to sit there and stare at his phone and wait for an answer, so he stands and starts straightening up. He starts with putting away the laundry that’s been sitting in the basket for a month or so, and then he throws away some old receipts. Brayden then gathers his dirty clothes and puts them into the machine to wash.

With his chores done, Brayden returns to his phone. He frowns when he realizes that it hasn't even been ten minutes. Why does he always put those chores off if they take so little time?

And Brett hasn’t ans--

His phone buzzes and lights up. He quickly tabs it open with shaky hands. He’s disappointed when it’s a text from Jo asking if he wants coffee.

When has he ever wanted coffee?

He’s in the middle of using some of his misplaced anger to tell Jo exactly where he can put his gross coffee when his phone vibrates again, a little (1) appearing at the top next to the small arrow. He backs out, thinking it’s probably Slater, also asking some stupid question or other, but it isn’t.

It’s Brett.

_Sure. Talk._

Okay, it isn’t a lot from Brett, but it’s a start, right?

_I was just wondering how you are?_

It’s stupid, but whatever.

_I’m okay. My class load is pretty light right now, so that’s decent_

_Oh, good. I’m glad_

Brayden feels like an idiot, but he just doesn’t know what else to say so far as small talk goes. Maybe he should quit beating around the bush. Bite the bullet, or some other stupid simile.

_I wanted to say that I’m sorry. I should have talked to you about how I felt, and I…_

Brayden add a shrug emoji and hits send because he’s run out of steam on what he’s saying and has no idea how to finish.

_How’s Val?_

Brayden frowns. That isn’t exactly what he expected in return.

_Couldn’t tell you because I haven’t seen him._

_Really? Why not?_

_I think you probably know why not._

_Because you feel guilty?_

Brayden sighs. He does feel guilty, but not because of what he did with Val, and he thinks that’s what Brett wants here.

_I haven’t really been talking to anyone_

Brayden sits there, staring at his phone for twenty minutes waiting for a reply. Nothing comes though, so he throws it down on the bed in annoyance...which is of course when it goes off. He snatches it back up.  

_I think I’m going to be at the coffee shop in about twenty minutes_

That’s all it says, and so Brayden spends eighteen minutes panicking over whether or not he should go before running out the door.    

Brett is sitting at a corner table, two cups in front of him when Brayden runs in. He’s only five minutes late, which is pretty good for him. He shuffles over and takes a seat.

“Hey.”

“Hey,” Brett echoes, and is that a smile playing at his lips as he pushes over a cup? It could just be wishful thinking, but Brayden doesn’t think so. He accepts the cup, takes a sip of the tea. It's perfect, of course. He lets it sit in his mouth for a second before swallowing.

“It’s good to see you.”

“You too,” Brett replies, and that’s definitely a smile. He takes a deep breath. “I shouldn’t have made such a shit ass rule without talking to you. I was just worried. That you’d leave me for him. He’s just so fucking hot and I’m-

“You’re just as hot,” Brayden interrupts. He grins when Brett blushes.

“Yeah?” His voice is shy. Brayden nods and he relaxes. “I’m sorry too. I was jealous and...” he trails off when Brayden puts a hand over his.

“I get it,” Brayden smiles, tugs on Brett’s hand. “Hey, c’mere.”  

They lean over the table and kiss like it’s some stupid romcom and Brayden loves every second of it.

   

//

 

“Are you sure that you’re ready to do this?” Brayden asks Brett. They’ve just stepped out of one of Val’s cars and are standing there looking up at his house.

“Yeah.” Brett swallows, nods. “Yeah. We need to do this. Clear the air.” He smiles over at Brayden. “Make things right.”

“Thanks,” Brayden says, mirroring Brett’s smile. He doesn’t mean to, but it’s just so contagious.

“Now c’mon,” Brett slips his arm through Brayden’s and they make their way up the stairs. The door opens without them needing to knock, which was actually normal, so Brayden doesn’t know why is stands out to him, and they’re ushered into the sitting room that he hadn’t been certain that he’d be in again.

They hardly have time to settle onto a couch together before Val strides into the room. He buttoning a cufflink, so he obviously wasn't ready them, but he still looks impeccable, somehow. Val glances up from his task, smiles at them.

No, not them. At Brayden.

“Boys, hello.” He continues to subtly watch more at Brayden than Brett. “How have you been?”

“Not that great,” Brayden admits. “But, um, things are better now, I think?”

“I’m sorry if I-”

“Val, no. You didn’t.” Brayden can tell that Val is worried and it makes him feel the need to put him at ease. “It was me. I was just…” Brayden shrugs.

“No, it wasn’t him either.” They look over at Brett. “It was because of me. I set these stupid rules for us without making sure they were okay with everyone, and that’s like the first rule of what not to do in a relationship.” Brett’s face screws up in frustration. It’s one of Brayden’s favorite faces despite what seeing it means...it’s just so cute. “I was being insecure and stupid.”

Brayden’s attention goes back to Val because he wants to know what he’s thinking. He’s surprised to see a small smirk playing on Val’s lips. He’s about to ask about it, but Val speaks first.

“Is that what this is? A relationship?”

“Isn’t it? Brett counters. “I have feelings for Braydon, you have feelings for Brayden. And he has feelings for the both of us.”

Brayden’s cheeks heat. He is just coming to terms with that himself, so he didn’t expect to hear it laid out so plainly. It’s Brett, though, so maybe he should have.

“I guess when you say it like that,” Val isn’t one to grin, but _that_ was about as close as he’s ever gotten in Brayden’s presence. “Who am I to argue?”

“You have feelings for me?” Brayden asks. “I-I thought that you just wanted...wanted...”

Brayden realizes that he has no idea what Val wants.

“Wanted a reason to get closer to a hot guy? Yeah,” Val crosses the room, goes down on one knee in front of Brayden.

It’s a little alarming, to be honest.

“Of course I didn’t have feelings for you at first, but how could you think that I wouldn’t now after everything that’s happened?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t think about it, I guess.” Brayden frowns, looks down at his feet. He's a complete asshole. Val places a finger on Brayden’s chin, tips his face back up. He’s smiling softly when Brayden finally makes himself look.

“We’ll just have to work harder on our communication skills, won’t we?”

“Yeah, I-” Val kisses him. Just swallows his words right down like they don’t matter.

Maybe they don’t.

He hums contentedly, starts to deepen the kiss before he remembers that Brett is there too. He pulls back, looks over Brett sheepishly. “Um. Sorry.”

“I was quite enjoying it, actually,” Brett cocks his head. “It _has_ been a while since the three of us were together. Maybe we should take this somewhere less...in the open.”

“I think you’re right,” Val replies. He stands, pulling Brayden up. He grabs one hand while Brett takes the other. “Follow me, boys.”

Val leads them up the stairs and...away from the room that he and Val were in before.

"Why are we..." Brayden trails off when Val shoots him a looks that clearly means _not now_. He doesn’t really have time to dwell on the why of it before Val is pulling the two of them through a door.

“You should undress him, Bray,” Brayden looks over at Brett, follows him across the room with his eyes. “And I’ll just watch from over there.”

“I, um-”

“I think that’s a good idea,” Val pulls his attention back by leading Brayden’s hand up to his tie. “And maybe start with this, since we’ve spent so much time on it.” Val’s eyes have a mischievous glint in them.

“You’re mean,” Brayden keeps his tone light and teasing while his fingers working at the knot.

“I am no such thing,” Val answers just before he leans in and kisses Brayden.

Brayden’s fingers fumble, but he manages to finish up. He tugs on the tie, loving the sensation of the pull along Val’s neck, but then he’s busy fumbling at the buttons of Val’s shirt. “Ugh,” he says on Val’s lips when the sleeves get caught up at Val’s wrists. “Ugh. Why did you put on these cufflinks? Was it just so they could get in the way?”

“Have to keep you on your toes.”

Brayden has to break the kiss so he can concentrate on the stupid cufflinks.

Getting Val to dress down more often will be his first order of business. Later. After this and--

“Hey, don’t mind me over here.”

Brett. Oh, shit. He forgot Brett. Brayden turns towards the bed. Val’s arms wrap around him, pulling Brayden up against his strong chest. He relaxes without even meaning to, looks up over his shoulder, smiles.

“I’m serious. I don’t mind the show at all. Keep up the good work.” Brett is sprawled back on the bed, already naked and stroking his half-hard dick languidly. “No, really, continue.”

Brayden feels his face heat. “Maybe we can extend that flush?” Val mutters in his ear. He pulls Brayden’s shirt over his head, tossing it away and burying his face in Brayden’s neck. Val tips Brayden's head to the side, biting down on the tendon there.

Brayden jumps. It stung, but it was also so, so good. He hadn’t known he was into that sort of thing. He turns, grabs Val’s hand, leads him to the bed where Brett lies waiting.

Then again, he thinks as he settles in between Val and Brett in the bed, the last few months have been full of enlightenment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Won't you come and put it down on me?


End file.
